1And it was in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that a Levite sojourning in the remote parts of the hill country of Ephraim took for himself a concubine from Bethlehem of Judah.2His concubine was unfaithful to him, and she went away from him to her father's house at Bethlehem of Judah, and she was there four months.3Her husband arose and went after her to speak kindly to her and bring her back. His servant was with him and a pair of donkeys. She brought him into her father's house, and when the father of the young woman saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.4His father-in-law, the young woman's father, prevailed upon him, and he stayed with him three days; they ate and drank and lodged there.5On the fourth day they rose early in the morning, and he arose to go. But the young woman's father said to his son-in-law, "Refresh yourself with a morsel of food, and afterward you may go."6So the two of them sat and ate and drank together. The young woman's father said to the man, "Please be willing to spend the night, and let your heart be merry."7When the man arose to go, his father-in-law pressed him, so he returned and lodged there.8On the fifth day he rose early in the morning to go, but the young woman's father said, "Please refresh yourself, and wait until the day declines." So the two of them ate.9When the man arose to go, he and his concubine and his servant, his father-in-law, the young woman's father, said to him, "Look, the day has declined toward evening. Please spend the night. See, the day is ending; lodge here, and let your heart be merry. Tomorrow you can rise early for your journey and go to your tent."10But the man was not willing to spend the night, so he arose and went and came opposite Jebus, that is, Jerusalem. With him were a pair of saddled donkeys, and his concubine was with him.11When they were near Jebus and the day was far spent, the servant said to his master, "Come, please, let us turn aside to this city of the Jebusites and lodge in it."12And his lord said to him, "We will not turn aside to a foreign city which is not from the sons of Israel here, and we will pass until Gibeah."13He said to his servant, "Come, let us approach one of these places and lodge in Gibeah or in Ramah."14And they passed and walked, and the sun came to them beside Gibeah which belongs to Benjamin.15And they turned aside there to come to lodge in Gibeah, and they came and dwelt in the street of the city; and there was no man gathering them to the house to lodge.16And behold, an old man came from his work from the field in the evening, and the man was from Mount Ephraim, and he was sojourning in Gibeah; and the men of the place were Benjaminites.17He lifted his eyes and saw the traveler in the street of the city, and the old man said, "Where are you going, and from where have you come?"18He said to him, "We are passing from Bethlehem of Judah to the remote parts of the hill country of Ephraim. I am from there, and I went to Bethlehem of Judah. I am going to the house of the LORD, and there is no man who will take me into his house."19And also straw, also fodder, there is for our donkeys; and also food and wine there is for me and for your maidservant and for the youth with your servants; there is no need of any word.20The old man said, "Peace be to you. Only let all your need be upon me; only do not lodge in the street."21And he brought him to his house, and he fed the donkeys, and they washed their feet, and they ate and drank.22They were making their hearts merry; and behold, the men of the city, worthless men, surrounded the house, beating upon the door; and they said to the man, the master of the house, the old one, saying, "Bring out the man who came to your house, and let us know him."23And the man, the master of the house, came out to them and said to them, "No, my brothers, do not be evil, please, since this man has come to my house; do not commit this folly."24"Behold, my virgin daughter and his concubine; let me bring them out, please, and do to them what seems good in your eyes. But to this man do not do this foolish thing."25And the men were not willing to listen to him, and the man seized his concubine and brought her out to them outside; and they knew her and abused her all the night until the morning, and they sent her away at the ascending of the dawn.26And the woman came at the turning of the morning and fell at the entrance of the house of the man whose lord she was, there until the light.27And her lord arose in the morning and opened the doors of the house and came out to walk to his way; and behold, the woman, his concubine, was falling at the entrance of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold.28And he said to her, "Arise and walk," and there was no answer; and he took her upon the donkey, and the man arose and walked to his place.29And he came to his house and took the knife and laid hold of his concubine and cut her limb by limb into twelve pieces, and he sent her throughout all the territory of Israel.30And it was, all who saw it said, "There has not been and has not been seen anything like this from the day the sons of Israel ascended from the land of Egypt until this day; consider it, take counsel, and speak."